Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, left, hits a solo home run in front of Baltimore Orioles catcher Welington Castillo, center, and home plate umpire Tom Hallion in the first inning of a baseball game in Baltimore, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

BALTIMORE >> If the Angels’ offense can start slugging balls over the fence like this, maybe they can reach the postseason despite the continued stream of injured pitchers.

The Angels’ 5-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night, headlined by Mike Trout and Luis Valbuena each hitting two homers, would have been a textbook victory if not for one significant issue.

JC Ramirez had to leave the game in the sixth inning with what was initially diagnosed as forearm irritation. He is scheduled for an MRI exam on Monday.

Ramirez said he felt tightness from his pregame warmups, and it never improved. He left the game after feeling “that little extra stretch.”

Ramirez was taken to the clubhouse and checked by a doctor, who eased his mind somewhat.

“They checked my ligament and everything,” Ramirez said. “They think it’s OK. They did all the tests and didn’t get any pain. My muscles are tight.”

Manager Mike Scioscia has been through this far too many times. The Angels began the season with Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and since the season began they’ve seen Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker all head to the disabled list for extended periods. Skaggs is back, Richards might be in September and Shoemaker is out for the season.

Ramirez, who got a shot at the rotation because of Richards’ injury in April, is in uncharted territory in his first year as a major league starter. He threw 144 innings as a starter in the minors, in 2011. Since then, his high had been 84 2/3 innings last year.

Ramirez, 29, has now thrown 147 1/3 innings, all in the majors.

“Anytime a pitcher comes out, you are always concerned, but we’re going to take it one step at a time,” Scioscia said. “Hopefully we’ll get some more information in the next couple days. Best-case scenario, he doesn’t miss a beat. We’ll see.”

Ironically, as Ramirez pitched around the discomfort with his velocity dropping, Scioscia said he thought it was by design.

“He looked like he was starting to change speeds and was actually pitching well,” Scioscia said.

Ramirez worked out of a jam in the first, allowing just one run. After that, he did not give up another run. He retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced before coming out of the game.

Unlike Friday night, when the bullpen couldn’t protect a lead for four innings, this time Angels relievers Eduardo Paredes, Bud Norris and Blake Parker shut out the Orioles over the final 10 outs to get a victory.

They had a lead thanks to the Angels’ second consecutive homer barrage. A night after the Angels hit five homers, Trout and Valbuena took turns hitting homers, with four in the first four innings.

Trout, who now has 26, became just the third player ever to have six 25-homer seasons before his age-26 season, joining Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Eddie Mathews.

Trout’s homers in the first and third innings were wrapped around Valbuena’s in the second and fourth.

Valbuena now has four homers this week and nine since the break, even though he is hitting just .226 in that span. He has only three singles in the second half.

“He’s never been a high average hitter,” Scioscia said. “He’s always had high slugging. He’s been slugging the ball and not get as many hits to fall in. It’s important for our offense he is driving the ball, and he’s shown that.”

Jeff Fletcher has covered the Angels since 2013. Before that, he spent 11 years covering the Giants and A's and working as a national baseball writer. Jeff is a Hall of Fame voter. In 2015, he was elected chairman of the Los Angeles chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.